Latest news with #CayenneEV
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Lamborghini Follows Ferrari By Delaying Major EV Launch
Still considered by some purists to be an affront to Lamborghini's lineage of iconic supercars, the Urus SUV isn't going anywhere. It's the brand's best-selling model, which is why the company is hard at work on the next generation of the high-performance SUV. We now have a clearer picture of what will power the next Urus, with CEO Stephan Winkelmann confirming that a plug-in hybrid will continue, but the planned Urus EV is being pushed back due to changing demands and regulations around new EVs. This comes mere weeks after Ferrari postponed the launch of one of its own EVs. From mass-market brands like Honda to exotic automakers like Lamborghini, everyone is putting the brakes on EVs and investing more heavily in hybrids. "We want to have a new [Urus] generation again as a plug-in hybrid," said Winkelmann when speaking to Autocar. "This is something very important for us and for our customers. And they were very happy to hear about this." The current Urus SE plug-in hybrid produces 789 horsepower from its 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 and electric motor, sending this heavy SUV from zero to 62 mph in a scant 3.4 seconds. It's expected that the next one will build on this same powertrain. Before this happens, Lamborghini will release a facelifted version of the current Urus (pictured above) that we expect to top 800 hp. That should keep fans busy until the all-new model arrives around 2029, which will likely once again raise the bar for performance. Instead of rushing to develop the Urus EV, Lamborghini has pushed it back to 2035, giving the brand more time to assess demand and market conditions for such a model - and EVs in general. Elsewhere within the Volkswagen Group, Porsche is forging ahead with its Cayenne EV, which is expected to arrive in 2026. "Now we [have] decided for the next generation, we have enough time to see what is happening in terms of acceptance, in terms of regulations, and in terms of infrastructure and, last but not least, also in terms of generational change," said Winkelmann of the Urus EV. This more cautious approach to launching EVs may also affect the Lanzador, a dramatic 2+2 grand tourer that was already delayed to 2029. Winkelmann said that at the start of next year, the company will decide whether to delay it further, perhaps as far back as the Urus EV in 2035. "We still have seven months of window to decide what to do next," he said. "We are very flexible and we are constantly thinking when it should be. We already postponed the car, because we saw that the adoption curve of the electrification around the globe is [under] the forecast we had a couple of years ago." We can't imagine too many diehard Lambo fans will be heartbroken over the delay of the brand's first fully electric models. As long as the next Urus sticks with at least a V8, it should still lead the super SUV segment for performance and driver appeal. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche Taps Richard Hammond to Handle a Hill Climb in the Cayenne EV Prototype
Last month, Porsche showed up at the historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb in Great Britain for an unannounced run up the hill in a camouflaged prototype. The brand is finally ready to share some details about that mystery car. The first and most important of those details: the vehicle is a prototype of the upcoming Cayenne EV... although eagle-eyed viewers probably figured that out when they saw the massive text all over the SUV's camouflaged wrap reading "Cayenne." Other details are slim at the moment, but Porsche has also announced that the new Cayenne EV will offer the brand's Active Ride system seen previously on the Panamera and Taycan. That system is Porsche's active suspension, which can use hydraulic motors to pump 2000 lbs of force into each individual corner of a suspension to counteract the forces that a heavy car like a Cayenne EV would face during cornering, braking, and also revealed the car's towing capacity of up to 7716 lbs, a number that will vary by configuration. The brand chose to showcase this by having former Top Gear and Grand Tour host Richard Hammond tow a hundred-year-old car with the Cayenne. The stunt is just one part of Hammond's 10-minute drive video focused on the Cayenne for his YouTube channel DriveTribe. Porsche says that the Cayenne EV's time of 31.28 seconds is a record for any SUV at the 120-year-old Shelsley Walsh hill climb, beating the previous contender by four seconds. Given how short the hill climb is, that is an absolutely massive gap. The time was set by Gabriela Jílková, a simulator and development driver for the brand's Formula E team. The car's next appearance will be at another one of England's most famous meets featuring a hill climb: this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric sets British hill climb record
The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the "near-production prototype" that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. "The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes," she said afterwards. "There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times." Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric "level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads". "Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne," said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. "Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. "Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. "However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality." Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that "the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level". For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: "We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly." No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the "near-production prototype" that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. "The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes," she said afterwards. "There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times." Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric "level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads". "Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne," said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. "Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. "Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. "However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality." Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that "the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level". For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: "We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly." No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the "near-production prototype" that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. "The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes," she said afterwards. "There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times." Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric "level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads". "Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne," said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. "Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. "Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. "However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality." Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that "the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level". For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: "We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly." No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom Content originally sourced from: The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the "near-production prototype" that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. "The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes," she said afterwards. "There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times." Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric "level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads". "Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne," said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. "Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. "Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. "However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality." Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that "the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level". For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: "We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly." No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
3 days ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric sets British hill climb record
The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the 'near-production prototype' that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. 'The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes,' she said afterwards. 'There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times.' Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric 'level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads'. 'Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne,' said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. 'Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. 'Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. 'However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality.' Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that 'the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level'. For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: 'We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly.' No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric sets British hill climb record
The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been officially revealed for the first time, wrapped in lurid blue and purple camouflage at England's historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, where it beat a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO and Subaru WRX to set a new course record of just 31.28 seconds. However, almost simultaneously, our spy photographers also captured the new SUV – the first battery-powered Cayenne, and the second electric Porsche SUV following the Macan Electric – almost completely undisguised both inside and out. The new large electric SUV was spied undergoing final development testing near the performance car brand's Weissach R&D base in Germany. As you can see from these spy pics, the pre-production prototype wears camouflage only around its lighting, plus a stickered-on grille and what appear to be decals showing dual daytime running lights. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Compared to the existing, third-generation large luxury SUV, the Cayenne EV will therefore feature narrower headlights flanking a narrow grille, a closed-off lower intake, and a slim rear light bar that wraps around the rear three-quarter panel. Inside the fourth-generation Cayenne, there's a full-width digital screen that all but unites a driver's instrument cluster, central infotainment screen and a passenger-side multimedia display. Overall, the exterior design of Porsche's new electric SUV, which will be followed by a larger dedicated-electric flagship SUV later this decade, makes it unmistakably a Cayenne. Supplied Credit: CarExpert However, it's unclear whether the EV will be offered in both wagon and 'Coupe' form like its combustion-powered sister model. The combustion Cayenne will continue to be available with V6, V8 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, just as Porsche is developing a replacement for the petrol-powered Macan to be sold alongside the new electric Macan. Porsche released no technical details about the Cayenne EV, other than promising it will be able to tow up to 3500kg and feature a new Active Ride system, but it's expected to make its world debut by the end of this year before its global release some time in 2026 – before the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, development of which appears to have been pushed back. For the record, the 'near-production prototype' that made its public debut in England, part of a film production featuring Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame, set a new record in the hands of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team development driver Gabriela Jílková. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Mr Hammond and Ms Jílková mingled with the crowd at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb – one of the world's oldest motorsport events, having been running since 1905 – before she drove the camouflaged Cayenne Electric up the asphalt track, which is only three and a half metres wide in places, has a steep gradient of up to 16.7 per cent, and is 1000 yards (914 metres) in length. Ms Jílková beat the previous SUV record by more than four seconds in her first attempt. 'The course is challenging and does not forgive mistakes,' she said afterwards. 'There are no run-off zones and little room for correction. But the active suspension gives the new Cayenne enormous stability and precision. I felt completely confident at all times.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert Apart from setting a new SUV record at Shelsley Walsh, the Cayenne Electric also crossed the first measuring point of the course (at 60 feet or 18.3 metres) in just 1.94 seconds – matching single-seat race cars on slick tyres – shod with conventional summer tyres. According to the automaker, the new Porsche Active Ride chassis system keeps the body of the Cayenne Electric 'level at all times, even during dynamic braking, steering and acceleration processes, and ensures a perfect connection to the road through a balanced distribution of wheel loads'. 'Porsche Active Ride significantly expands the range between driving dynamics and ride comfort in the new Cayenne,' said the vice president of the Cayenne Product Line, Michael Schätzle. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Our customers have always appreciated the high utility value of the Cayenne. That's why we didn't want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model. 'Our customers will also have powerful and efficient combustion engine and hybrid models at their disposal well into the next decade, and we are continuing to develop the current model generation at great expense. 'However, we can only achieve the level of performance publicly demonstrated for the first time in England through the potential of electrification. The Cayenne Electric will set new standards – without compromising on everyday usability and practicality.' Mr Schätzle added that final tuning of the Cayenne Electric is still in progress, but assures us that 'the drive power and equipment of the record-breaking car were already at production level'. Supplied Credit: CarExpert For his part, after using the camouflaged Cayenne Electric to tow a classic car more than 100 years old and weighing more than two tonnes from his workshop in Hereford to his garage as part of a film shoot, Mr Hammond said: 'We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn't know it – the Cayenne handled it effortlessly.' No firm technical detail are available for the Cayenne EV, but it's expected to match the performance of its V8-powered siblings by offering between 373kW (500hp) and 600kW. That's because it will be based on an updated version of the same 800V Premium Platform Electric architecture as the Macan Electric, which offers up to 470kW in dual-motor Turbo form, and more than 500km of range in entry-level form. The first Cayenne EV will be produced alongside the existing Cayenne at Porsche's manufacturing facility in Bratislava, Slovakia. MORE: Explore the Porsche Cayenne showroom
